Monty Wiliams fired: Record with the Pistons and guaranteed contract details
The Pistons coach was in charge for a single season but it proved to be an absolutely terrible one. With that, the franchise decided to dismiss him.
Despite being one of the more respected coaches in the league, Monty Williams was unable to guide the Pistons to a winning campaign and so, was forced to pay the price. Where the franchise goes from here remains uncertain, but with several other changes in the front office, it’s clear a rebuild is in process.
Pistons fire Monty Williams
According to reports this week, the Detroit Pistons fired head coach Monty Williams. The move comes just one season after Williams put pen to paper on a record-setting six-year, $78.5 million contract. While the news is understandably shocking, it’s not surprising when considering the fact that the Pistons ended the season with an abysmal 14-68 record which included a 28-game losing streak, a statistic that tied the team with the Philadelphia 76ers for the longest losing streak in NBA history. Pistons owner Tom Gores made it clear that the decision was not taken lightly.
“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” Gores in a statement. “Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organization, we will chart a new course moving forward. I have great respect for Monty as a coach and as a person and I am certain he will be successful in his future endeavors. I sincerely wish him and his family the very best.”
It’s worth noting of course that Williams is not the only change made at the management level, with the Pistons also dismissing general manager Troy Weaver who achieved a record of 72-244 in the four seasons that he held the position. What that means is that new Pistons team president Trajan Langdon will have some new hires to make at both the coaching and management levels. As for Williams, it would be unfair to lay all of the blame at the 52-year-old’s feet after he took over from Dwayne Casey whose five-year tenure ended with a 17-65 record in his final season (2022-23). Sadly, in what was his third coaching job in the league following stints with the Pelicans and Suns, Williams simply wasn’t able to get the best of the Pistons. To that end, the now-former coach must now look for a new job but as he does so, he can look forward to the $65 million that he’s guaranteed from his terminated contract.